Historical MBT Temperature-Depth Profiles from Ship Albatross IV
Updated 3mo ago
17files
Available on 2 platforms
Sign in to view source links and access this dataset
Description
Over 13 years of historical ocean temperature-depth profiles collected by NOAA Ship Albatross IV using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments. The data, processed by NODC into the standard C128 format, covers the Bay of Fundy and North Atlantic Ocean from July 1955 to October 1968. Each observation includes cruise information, date, position, time, and paired temperature-depth values recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals down to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.
Use Cases
Analyzing the thermal structure and stratification of the upper ocean (0-285m) using temperature-depth pairs.
Investigating historical ocean temperature variability in the North Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Fundy across a 13-year period.
Calibrating or validating ocean model outputs for the upper ocean using in-situ profile data.
Studying the seasonal and interannual cycles of near-surface ocean heat content in a specific region.
Strengths
Provides a long temporal record spanning over 13 years (1955-1968).
Data is standardized into the NODC C128 format, ensuring a consistent structure for analysis.
Each profile includes precise metadata such as cruise information, date, position, and time.
Limitations
Key quantitative details like total row count and file size are unavailable from all sources.
The MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the upper ocean layers only.
Conflicts exist in metadata completeness: 'datagov' lists an organization (NOAA_NCEI) and a 2026 update date, while 'nasa_earthdata' provides minimal information.
Provenance
Source
NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information).
Collection Method
Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments deployed from NOAA Ship Albatross IV and processed to the NODC C128 standard format.
Time Range
1955-07-13 to 1968-10-06
Freshness
Most recent metadata update recorded was 2026-03-05 on the datagov platform.
Geography
Bay of Fundy and North Atlantic Ocean.
License information is not provided by any source. The dataset's utility is confined to the upper ~285 meters of the ocean due to instrument limitations.